Civil rights groups accuse Sri Lanka's Jaffna Military commander of instructing the NGOs and civil society representatives not to refer to human rights issues and to "restrict themselves to issues of humanitarian assistance" before meeting the United Nations Under Secretary General, Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes.
Timeline of events under "Jaffna" issue
In reaction to heavy fighting between the LTTE and the military, the government of Sri Lanka closes the A9 highway, the only land link between the Jaffna peninsula and the rest of the country.
The fourth round of peace talks takes place in Thailand from 6 to 9 January. Talks focus on the deliberations of the Sub-Committee on De-escalation and Normalisation, formulation of a plan for an Accelerated Resettlement Programme for the Jaffna district and human rights and child recruitment issues.
A Government team led by B. Goonetilleke, head of Peace Secretariat, travels to Kilinochchi for initial talks with S.P. Tamilselvan, head of the Political Wing of the LTTE. Discussions centre on the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement and public transport on the A9 highway.
Ranil Wickramasinghe becomes the first Sri Lankan prime minister to visit Jaffna since the conflict began in 1983. Large crowds gather to meet him.
Until May 2002: de-commissioning of weapons begins; the road linking the Jaffna peninsula with the rest of Sri Lanka reopens after 12 years; and passenger flights to Jaffna resume.
A bomb blast at the Municipal Council kills Pon Sivapalan, who took over as mayor of Jaffna after the death of Mrs Yogeshwaran. Some of Jaffna top military leaders were killed along with him.
Sarojini Yogeshwaran, the first female mayor of Jaffna, is assassinated by suspected LTTE gunmen.
In the first criminal prosecution of its type, the Colombo High Court sentenced to death six soldiers and a reserve policeman found guilty of the September 1996 murders of Jaffna schoolgirl Krishanthy Kumarasamy and her mother, teenage brother and neighbour.
The UN's Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, undertakes a twelve-day visit to Sri Lanka.
Thousands are displaced when the military forces launch a massive operation in the northern Vanni region for control of a key highway that would give it land access to the former LTTE stronghold of Jaffna. The operation is codenamed Jayasikuru or 'Victory Assured'.
The 'Operation Riviresa' military campaign concludes with the taking of Jaffna from the LTTE.
Government commences operation 'Leap Forward' from Arali point in Jaffna. The offensive continues for seven days. 127 square kilometers were captured, but troops later withdraw to Palaly.
A delegation including the Secretary to the President leaves for Jaffna to initiate negotiations.
Two peace delegations, one led by the Anglican Bishop of Colombo Rev. Kenneth Fernando and the other led by the Sarvodaya Leader A.T. Ariayaratne, visit Jaffna.
